generating enzyme that also produces the
characteristic aroma of almond extract
(almonds are seeds of
Prunus amygdalus). They thus lend an almond
character when included in sugar and alcohol
preserves, and can replace “bitter almonds” in
European pastries and sweets (p. 506).
Apricot The apricots that are most familiar in
the West are fruits of Prunus armeniaca, a
native of China that was taken to the
Mediterranean during Roman times. There are
now thousands of different varieties, white
and red (from lycopene) as well as orange,
and most of them adapted to specific
climates; apricots flower and fruit early (the
name comes from the Latin praecox,
“precocious”), and therefore bear best in areas
with mild, predictable winters. Several other
species are grown in Asia, including P. mume,
whose fruits the Japanese salt-pickle and color
red to make the condiment umeboshi. The